Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya is 'textbook ethnic cleansing'

The situation in Myanmar is a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing", the United Nations said on Monday, as the number of Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh topped 300,000.

Fresh violence erupted in Myanmar's Rakhine state almost two weeks ago when security forces launched an operation against the Rohingya community.

Speaking at the start of the latest Human Rights Council session, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein first recognized the September 11 attacks anniversary then chronicled human rights concerns about Myanmar.

They've brought with them stories of death and destruction, including multiple accounts of rape and the murder of children.

"New arrivals in all locations are in urgent need of life-saving assistance, including food, water and sanitation, health and protection".

Elsewhere in Myanmar, communal tension appeared to be rising after more than two weeks of violence in Rakhine state.

Rohingya militants, known as Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA, issued a statement Saturday, saying "offensive military operations" would be paused until October 9 to give access to aid groups.

On Venezuela, Zeid called for an global independent investigation of possible rights violations, citing a report from his office last month that documented allegations of excessive use of force by security forces to quash protests against President Nicolas Maduro's government. He said the tragedy is that all these killings have not shamed the "Nobel peace prize winner" referring to state counsellor Aung Suu Kyi.

"We have no policy to negotiate with terrorists", Zaw Htay told CNN.

Satellite photos released by Human Rights Watch show entire villages torched to the ground in clashes between Myanmar's armed forces and local militants.

"Figures are hard to verify because of lack of access to the affected areas", she said.

He said Monday that he was "further appalled" by reports of Myanmar authorities planting land mines along the border.

Expressing solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, several organisations today took out protest rallies in different parts of the city against what they termed as the "genocide" of Rohingya Muslims in the neighbouring country.

He urged the Indian state to adopt humanistic approach and listen to the pleas of refugees who had pleaded New Delhi to consider them as humans, not Muslims.

According to the United Nations, some 270,000 Rohingyas have fled from Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh since August 25.

In response, the military intensified "clearance operations" against "terrorists", driving thousands of people from their homes.

He said the Bangladesh government had also asked the UN, Germany and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to take the initiative to create the safe zone as had been done in other conflict-stricken countries.

Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly come under criticism for her lack of action to help the Rohingya, a stark contrast to her previous image as a champion of human rights.

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